1. The Age of Enlightenment

2. What were the key ideas of the Enlightenment?
Essential Question:
Scientist began to question accepted beliefs & make new theories based on experimentation
What were the key ideas of the Enlightenment?
How did the Enlightenment influence ideas about government and society?
42c - identify the major ideas of the Enlightenment from the writings of Locke, Voltaire and Rousseau and their relationship to politics and society
43a - identify the causes and results of the revolutions in England (1689), United States (1776), France (1789), Haiti (1791), and Latin America ( )
43b - explain Napoleon's rise to power, defeat, and consequences for Europe
What is the Enlightenment? (HA! book 35.2)
Connect to Sci Rev, Renaissance, Prot Ref
Conflict with old ideas, esp. kings & church
Enlightenment Thinkers
Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Voltaire, (Beccaria??) Use ISN pg (notes then questions to answer??)
Matching Enlightenment thinkers w/ quotes (HA! 35 activity pg )
Impact of Enlightenment (HA! book )
Enlightened Despots, women, music, economics, foreshadow political revolutions
Activity

3. The Scientific Revolution
The roots of the Scientific Revolution can be found in the Renaissance with the work of Copernicus, Galileo, Harvey & others
Continued in 17th-18th centuries
Rejected traditional authority & Church teachings in favor of the direct observation of nature
Based on the new scientific method: in which people observed nature, made hypotheses, & tested their hypotheses through experiments
- A combination of discoveries & circumstances led to the Scientific Revolution.
- European Exploration fueled a great deal research in astronomy & mathematics (navigators needed better instruments)

4. Robert Boyle “Father of Chemistry,” conducted experiments on different gases & one of the 1st scientist to perform controlled experiments
Galileo discovered the Law of the pendulum, Laws of motion, & developed his own telescope which helped him support Copernicus’ Theory
Isaac Newton discovered the law of gravity, raising hopes that all of the universe acted according to certain fixed & fundamental laws
Copernicus said the Sun was the center (heliocentric)
Kepler demostrated that the planets revolve around the sun
Galileo Conflict with the Church: If he was right & the Church wrong, what other teachings was the Church wrong about….he eventually agreed Copernicus was wrong & lived under house arrest for the rest of his life
Boyle proposed that mattter was made up of smaller primary particles that joined together differently

5. From 1650 to 1800, European philosophers began rethinking old ideas about gov’t, religion, economics which led to an era known as the Enlightenment (also called the Age of Reason)
In the wake of the Scientific Revolution, and the new ways of thinking it prompted, scholars and philosophers began to reevaluate old notions about other aspects of society. They sought new insight into the underlying beliefs regarding government, religion, economics, and education. Their
efforts spurred the Enlightenment, a new intellectual movement that stressed reason and thought and the power of individuals to solve problems. Known also as the Age of Reason, the movement reached its height in the mid-1700s and brought great change to many aspects of Western civilization.

6. The Enlightenment
The intellectuals of the Enlightenment were called philosophes & they shared some basic beliefs
New truths could be discovered by using logic & reason
Everything could be explained by observing universal truths known as natural laws
A belief in progress, that the world can be improved, & that life should be enjoyed
Stressed that society & humankind could improve
People are born with natural rights (personal freedoms that protect liberty)
The Philosophes Advocate Reason
The Enlightenment reached its height in France in the mid-1700s. Paris became the meeting place for people who wanted to discuss politics and ideas. The social critics of this period in France were known as philosophes (FIHL•uh•SAHFS), the French word for philosophers. The philosophes believed that people could apply reason to all aspects of life, just as Isaac Newton had applied reason to
science. Five concepts formed the core of their beliefs:
Reason
Enlightened thinkers believed truth could be discovered through reason or logical thinking.
2. Nature
The philosophes believed that what was natural was also good and reasonable.
3. Happiness
The philosophes rejected the medieval notion that people should find joy in the hereafter and urged people to seek well-being on earth.
4. Progress
The philosophes stressed that society and humankind could improve.
5. Liberty
The philosophes called for the liberties that the English people had won in their Glorious Revolution and Bill of Rights.

7. Why did the Enlightenment begin?
During the Renaissance, people began to question medieval ideas, emphasize individual potential (humanism), & encourage education
During the Age of Exploration, the discovery of new lands & trade routes led Europeans to search for other “new” things
During the Protestant Reformation, people began to question church teachings, freely explore new ideas, & tolerate other religions. Challenge long held ideas
During the Age of Absolute Monarchs, powerful kings spent lavishly, fought expensive wars, & ruled without regard to their nation’s people. Argued against divine right/absolutism
The Philosophes Advocate Reason
The Enlightenment reached its height in France in the mid-1700s. Paris became the meeting place for people who wanted to discuss politics and ideas. The social critics of this period in France were known as philosophes (FIHL•uh•SAHFS), the French word for philosophers. The philosophes believed that people could apply reason to all aspects of life, just as Isaac Newton had applied reason to
science. Five concepts formed the core of their beliefs:
Reason
Enlightened thinkers believed truth could be discovered through reason or logical thinking.
2. Nature
The philosophes believed that what was natural was also good and reasonable.
3. Happiness
The philosophes rejected the medieval notion that people should find joy in the hereafter and urged people to seek well-being on earth.
4. Progress
The philosophes stressed that society and humankind could improve.
5. Liberty
The philosophes called for the liberties that the English people had won in their Glorious Revolution and Bill of Rights.

8. During the Scientific Revolution, scholars applied logic, perfected the scientific method, & made new discoveries that shattered old ideas…
…This gave Enlightenment philosophes a model to follow to make new theories about society
Old Idea: Hobbes
New Idea: Locke – idea of popular consent & right to rebel against unjust rulers helped inspire stuggles for liberty in Europe & the Americas
The most important Enlightenment ideas were those that challenged rule by absolute monarchs & presented new theories about government

9. Political Ideas of the Enlightenment
One of the first political thinkers of the Enlightenment was Thomas Hobbes.
Hobbes was bothered by the English Civil War & chaos that plagued England after the beheading of King Charles I.
Hobbes wrote the Leviathon about purpose of government and
believed that humans are naturally cruel, selfish, & hungry for power; Hobbes argued that people need to be protected from themselves
What kind of government do you think Hobbes supported?

10. Political Ideas of the Enlightenment
Hobbes supported rule by absolute monarchs; He used scientific reasoning to argue that only kings with absolute power could maintain order in society
Hobbes believed in an idea called the social contract: people give up power & rights to a king who provides law & order

11. Political Ideas of the Enlightenment
English philosophe John Locke disagreed with the ideas of Thomas Hobbes
He was influenced by the Glorious Revolution when the Bill of Rights was created to protect citizens’ rights.
Locke wrote the 2nd Treatise of Government where he believed that people are born with natural rights, including life, liberty, property; Locke argued that kings could be overthrown if they violated peoples’ rights
New Idea: Locke – idea of popular consent & right to rebel against unjust rulers helped inspire stuggles for liberty in Europe & the Americas
What kind of government do you think Locke supported?

12. Political Ideas of the Enlightenment
Locke supported limited or constitutional monarchies
The English Bill of Rights (1689)
The king cannot tax or overturn Parliament’s laws
Protected freedom of speech
The army cannot be used as a police force
No excessive bail
Locke believed that gov’t power came from the consent of the governed (approval of the people) & that kings should protect the rights of the people. (build upon Hobbes’ social contract)

13. Quick Writing Prompt: Who’s ideas are right: Hobbes or Locke?
People are naturally selfish & act out of self-interest
Without gov’t control, society would be chaotic
People are like children & need a strong “father” to keep them in line
Locke
People are reasonable & able to make decisions
Freedom & liberty are more important than order & safety
People should be able to overthrow kings who abuse their power

14. Political Ideas of the Enlightenment
The French philosophe Voltaire was one of the most famous writers of the Enlightenment
Voltaire argued for the rights of freedom of speech & religion; He criticized intolerance, prejudice, & oppression
Used satire against his opponents….frequent targets were the Clergy, the aristocracy, & the government
He mocked the laws & customs of France
Never stopped fighting for religious tolerance, freedom of belief, & freedom of speech
Voltaire was jailed twice in France for criticizing the gov’t but his letters to European monarchs helped introduce new reforms & freedoms

15. Quick Writing Prompt: Do you agree with Voltaire?
Voltaire once said: “I may disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
When, if ever, should freedom of speech be restricted?
Consider schools, TV, radio, wartime, etc.

16. Political Ideas of the Enlightenment
Baron de Montesquieu agreed with John Locke that government should protect individual liberties & that too much power led to tyranny
Montesquieu believed in separation of powers: divide power among 3 branches of government
Believed that Britain was the best-governed country of his own day: their governement had a balance of power
Believed that a separation of powers would keep any individual group from gaining total control of the governemnt
Each branch would serve as a check on the other two -

17. Montesquieu’s model of gov’t also included a system of checks & balances in which each branch of gov’t could limit the power of the other branches

18. Political Ideas of the Enlightenment
The Swiss philosophe Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed in individual freedom
Rousseau believed that people are naturally good, but power corrupts them; Free people form a social contract & gov’t based on the common good
- Strongly disagreed with other Enlightenment thinkers
- Direct democracy: a government in which citizens rule directly rather than through representative
Rousseau argued for a direct democracy that is guided by the general will of the majority of citizens
What kind of gov’t do you think Rousseau supported?

19. Quick Writing Prompt: Which form of gov’t is better: Separation of powers or direct democracy?
Montesquieu
Take power from one king & divide it among 3 branches of gov’t that each can limit other branches
Rousseau
Let the people make all decisions directly to ensure what the majority wants, the majority gets

20. Impact of the Enlightenment: Women
Most Europeans had a traditional view of women as housewives, mothers, & not equals to men
But, new Enlightenment ideas inspired efforts to improve women’s status
Madame Geoffrin hosted salons & spoke her mind
The philosophes challenged many assumptions about government and society. But they often took a traditional view toward women. Rousseau, for example, developed many progressive ideas about education. However, he believed that a girl’s education should mainly teach her how to be a helpful wife and mother. Other male social critics scolded women for reading novels because they thought it encouraged idleness and wickedness. Still, some male writers argued for more education for women and for women’s equality in marriage. Women writers also tried to improve the status of women. In 1694, the English writer Mary Astell published A Serious Proposal to the Ladies. Her book addressed the lack of educational opportunities for women. In later writings, she used Enlightenment arguments about government to criticize the unequal relationship between men and women in marriage. She wrote, “If absolute sovereignty be not necessary in a state, how comes it to be so in a family? If all men are born free, how is it that all women are born slaves?” During the 1700s, other women picked up these themes. Among the most persuasive was Mary Wollstonecraft, who published an essay called A Vindication of the Rights of Woman in In the essay, she disagreed with Rousseau that women’s education should be secondary to men’s. Rather, she argued that women, like men, need education to become virtuous and useful. Wollstonecraft also urged women to enter the male-dominated fields of medicine and politics. Women made important contributions to the Enlightenment in other ways. In Paris and other European cities, wealthy women helped spread Enlightenment ideas through social gatherings called salons, which you will read about later in this chapter. One woman fortunate enough to receive an education in the sciences was Emilie du Châtelet (shah•tlay). Du Châtelet was an aristocrat trained as a mathematician and physicist. By translating Newton’s work from Latin into French, she helped stimulate interest in science in France.
Some women, like Mary Wollstonecraft, argued for more opportunities for education & professions. Women deserve the same rights as men.

21. Enlightened Despots were absolute monarchs who tried to use Enlightened ideas to reform their societies “from above”
They instituted religious tolerance, established scientific academies, & promoted social reform, but rarely supported a greater sharing of political power
Catherine the Great of Russia, Frederick the Great of Prussia, & Joseph II of Austria
Monarchs who supported the philosophes ideas but had no inention of giving up power
- Wanted to make countries stronger & their own rule more effective